1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to authenticating wireless mobile communication devices, including smart phones, which communicate over the Internet through different types of wireless connections, such as through a Wi-Fi connection and/or through a cellular telecommunication system.
2. Description of Related Art
Wireless mobile communication devices, such as smart phones, may communicate over the Internet through different types of wireless connections, such as through a Wi-Fi connection and/or through a cellular telecommunication system, such as a 3G and/or 4G system.
When a cellular telecommunication system is used, the wireless mobile communication device may be assigned an IP address by the cellular telecommunication system when a data session is established. This IP address and the mobile device number (MDN) of the wireless mobile communication device may then be stored in an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server. The wireless mobile communication device may include its MDN and IP address in each communication request. These requests may be authenticated by verifying that the MDN and IP address in the communication request match a corresponding MDN and IP address pair in the AAA server.
The wireless mobile communication device may at different times communicate over the internet through a Wi-Fi connection. When in this mode of operation, the IP address of the wireless mobile communication device may be assigned by the internet service provider which provides the internet service used by the Wi-Fi connection, not the wireless cellular communication network. The IP address in the communication request from the wireless mobile communication device, therefore, may not be able to be matched to any MDN and IP address pair in the AAA server, even when the requests are authentic.